Best known for his chairs and other seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Hans Wegner’s best chair designs have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs — for example, the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat — bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room.
Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Find vintage Hans Wegner lounge chairs, armchairs, daybeds and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Rare mid century Danish Aksel Kjaersgaard oak stool from the 1960's
By Aksel Kjersgaard
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Rare stool from a Aksel Kjaersgaard with beautiful lines and finish. Danish midcentury minimalism as it best
Oak
Ole Wanscher Lounge Chair in Teak
By Ole Wanscher
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Ole Wanscher, chair, model 'PJ 112' teak Denmark, 1950s. This chair is designed by Ole Wanscher. The frame shows elegant lines, especially in the armrests. Ole Wanscher, chair, mode...
Teak
Severin Hansen Teak Sofatable from the 1950s
By Severin Hansen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
An exquisite midcentury masterpiece: a teak coffee table designed by Severin Hansen and expertly crafted by Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, circa 1955. This stunning piece stands on elegant ta...
Teak
Solid Wood Folding oak Stool by Poul Hundevad “Gold Hill Chair” 1960s
By Poul Hundevad
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The "Guldhøj Stool" (Model PH 43) by Poul Hundevad is a refined folding stool crafted in oak with original, patinated black leather. Designed in 1958 and produced in the 1960s, it re...
Oak
Mid century modern pair of solid teak chairs, Denmark 1960´s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
A rare seen set of solid teak chairs from Denmark in the 1960´s. They are in a beautiful vintage condition and needs a perfect set of cushions to be irresistible collector items
Teak
Exquisite set of Danish 1960´s teak nesting tables
Located in Copenhagen, DK
A beautiful large set of Danish teak nesting tables from the 1960´s with a beatiful a scalloped edge on the top table.. They are rarely seen in this size and have most definitely a d...
Teak
Early Hans J. Wegner Solid Oak GE-240 "Cigar" Stool / Ottoman for Getama Denmark
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Ystad, SE
Early Stool / Ottoman, Model GE-240 “Cigar,” by Hans J. Wegner for Getama. Denmark, 1955. A rare and early solid oak stool designed by Hans J. Wegner as a complementary piece to the...
Oak
Teak Stool by Søren Hansen for Fritz Hansen, Denmark, 1950s
By Fritz Hansen, Søren Hansen
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Elegant stool designed by Søren Hansen for Fritz Hansen in the 1950s. Crafted from teak, the frame has been professionally restored by our cabinetmaker and the seat newly reupholster...
Leather, Teak
Hans Wegner, Teak stained Piano Stool, model AP-30, made by A P Stolen, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans Wegner, Teak stained Piano Stool, model AP-30, made by A P Stolen, 1950s Wegner designed this stool as a variation of his ottoman for the Papa Bear chair, to be slightly higher...
Leather, Beech
Hans Wegner Teak Piano Stool c1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in London, England
Hans J. Wegner - AP-30 Piano Stool Produced by A.P. Stolen in Denmark, this model is based on the AP-29 Papa Bear ottoman. The rarely seen piano stool has additional stretchers and longer legs. This example has an oiled teak frame and has been reupholstered on Pierre Frey fabric. Hans Wegner's output in the 1950s was quite remarkable, even by his own high standards. Several Danish factory producers benefited from the founding of the Salesco group - the brainchild of Wegner and entrepreneur Ejvind Kold Christensen. Several factories were selected to share Wegner's designs tailored for their specific expertise. Amongst them was A.P. Stolen, founded in 1944 at the tail end of the German occupation by upholsterer Anker Peterson in Copenhagen. Petersen was assigned Wegner best traditionally upholstered armchairs, including the era-defining Papa Bear Chair. Most of their frames were supplied on Wegner's direction by Ejnar Pedersen's workshop PP Mobler. This combination of fine upholstery and joinery workshops produced some of Wegner's most successful designs in his golden decade. The Papa Bear Chair (AP-19) was launched together with the AP-29 foot stool. Later, the AP-30 Piano stool was introduced and made in small numbers. This version added elegant stretchers and taller legs to the Papa Bear stool...
Fabric, Teak
Stool Made In Oak By Sigfred Omann For Ølholm Furniture From 1960s
By Sigfred Omann, Ølholm Møbelfabrik
Located in Lejre, DK
Stool in oak with caning, designed by Sigfred Omann for Ølholm Møbelfabrik in the 1960s. The stool combines solid wood with a hand-woven seat, which gives it both strength and elegan...
Oak
Papa Bear Stool in Teak by Hans J. Wegner, 1960s
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
Teak framed stool with fabric seat - Designed by Maa. Hans J. Wegner and made by A.P. Stolen Denmark. The ideal stool for the Papa Bear chair or other lounge chairs in the style. Ori...
Fabric, Teak
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
